


When It Gets Cold I'll Be Yours

by lousgotnocontrol



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bakery, Christmas, Fluff, Greek Mythology - Freeform, I bent the rules a little bit with my topics so just bare with me, Ice Skating, Kid Fic, M/M, Oneshot, first snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2837474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lousgotnocontrol/pseuds/lousgotnocontrol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry didn’t believe in love at first sight or even soul mates. The concept of it seemed impossible, but he was willing to make an exception for the blue-eyed boy standing on the other side of the counter.</p><p>Christmas AU where Harry is too awkward for his own good and Louis has a secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When It Gets Cold I'll Be Yours

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!  
> This is the first fic that I've ever posted, so I'm a little nervous about it, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!  
> It's for the Holiday Cheer Fic Challenge and my topics are Kidfic, First Snow, and Greek Mythology. I tried my best to stick with the themes, but I did have to change some things so it would go along with the storyline. Louis is some sort of demigod with ice/snow powers. It's not very prominent, but I wanted to point it out.  
> And I want to give a massive thank you to [Mary](http://foraweekand13days.tumblr.com/) for helping me out with this! :)  
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!  
> The title is taken from "Fool's Holiday" by All Time Low.

Harry was beginning to hate New York.

It was too loud and too busy and just too much overall. Out of all the places in the world, this is where he decided to spend four of his prime years. To sixteen-year-old Harry, it seemed like a great idea. He wanted nothing more than to get out of England and start uni with a clean slate. The idea of no one knowing who he was very appealing at the time, but now, he longed for the company of his family and old friends.

The long winter months were the worst, he decided. All around, in the halls of NYU, in the main city streets, even in the little bakery that he worked at, everyone was buzzing with joy. The Christmas spirit seemed to be flowing throughout the city, covering it like a blanket of snow. Instead of joining in on the celebrations, it was just another reminder of his lonely state. 

Harry didn’t mean to sound like a Grinch or anything, but he was beginning to hate New York.

A single strand of hair fell into Harry’s line of vision as he tried to roll out a piece of red fondant. Barbara wanted their cupcakes to be “festive” for the Holiday season, so he was stuck working overtime, making tiny edible Santa hats. He readjusted his beanie before heading back to work. The distant gleam of Christmas lights was visible from the kitchen window. Barbara went all out this year; stringing lights throughout the bakery, strategically placing a fake tree by the front window, and hanging themed stockings on the walls. He had helped her with all of the heavy lifting and ladder work, decorating the bakery to her liking. Harry had to admit, the place did look very nice, not too overdone and not too all over the place. Barbara got a kick out of it all, playing Christmas music throughout the day.

It wasn’t the holidays that brought Harry down, it was just that this would be his first year alone for Christmas. He was supposed to fly back to Homes Chapel to spend his break with his family, but the storm warnings canceled all of the flights going in and out of New York. Harry thought it was ridiculous; there had been plenty of rain, but not a single snowflake.

So maybe he was a little bitter, but there wasn’t all that much that he could do. His roommate, Niall, was already back in Ireland. The lucky shit made it out in time, before they started canceling flights. His neighbor, a very nice young lady named Lou, invited him to spend Christmas with her and her daughter, Lux, but he didn’t want to intrude. He’d probably end up binge watching Christmas specials and eating a microwavable dinner. 

Just as Harry was about to start cutting out the little Santa hats, he heard the front bell chime, signaling that he had a customer. The only problem was that the bakery was closed for the night and he knew that he already locked up. Harry started to panic; what if it was a burglar? Or a psychopathic killer? He could feel his heart pounding faster with every passing second. Oh God, he was going to die.

Harry grabbed the nearest rolling pin and headed toward the kitchen door. It probably wasn’t the best defense mechanism, but he had to work with what he had. The boy nudged the door open with his foot, slowing inching out into the main shop. He probably looked ridiculous; flour smudges across his cheeks, messy curls spilling out of his beanie, extending a rolling pin in a not so threatening position. The wooden floor squeaked under his feet, only adding to the suspense. At least he was going to die in his favorite boots.

“Excuse me?” A soft voice filled the air. Harry whipped his head around to face the intruder, pointing the tip of the rolling in his direction. He was faced with a man that didn’t look too much older than him, wearing a very confused look. The first thing Harry noticed about the stranger was his eyes. They were an unusually bright shade of blue, practically illuminating the entire bakery. His eyebrows were arched up in surprise, matching the perplexed look on his face. The boy had caramel colored hair that was tousled into a messy fringe. He had a loose jacket hanging from his shoulders and white t-shirt, stamped with a bang logo that Harry didn’t recognize. He had on a simple pair of black skinny jeans that hugged his thighs and defined his shape perfectly.

Harry couldn’t keep his eyes off the stranger. And for a moment, he didn’t even care if this boy killed him. His beauty would have made up for it and then some.

 “Can you please put down the rolling pin?” The boy asked, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. “I swear I’m not here to rob you, all I want is a cup of tea.” His voice was laced with an English accent. The familiarity of it instantly put him at ease.

Harry blinked twice, trying to register what exactly was happening. “Yeah, sorry.” He mumbled, dropping his sad excuse of a weapon down on the counter. Here was the most gorgeous boy that he had ever seen and he was already making a fool out of himself.

 “I know that the bakery is closed and all, but the door was open, so I thought I’d check. If it’s too much trouble, I can just leave. I’m sure there’s a Starbucks somewhere, I can settle for coffee.” The stranger gestured to the front door, pivoting his body away from Harry.

 “No!” He almost shouted. It seemed to catch them both off guard. “I mean, if you’re looking for tea, I’d gladly make you a cup.”

 The boy smiled and Harry thought he was going to pass out. This was not going well. “I’d love that if it’s not too much trouble.” He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a leather wallet.

 “It’s on the house.” Harry found himself saying before his brain could even register that his mouth was moving. “I did try to kill you with a rolling pin, it’s the least I can do.” He laughed shyly.   

 “Rolling pins can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.” The boy chuckled, heading toward the pastry counter. His eyes glazed over the glass case, inspecting all the different baked goods. A thin smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

 “You can pick something out if you’d like.” Harry assured him, teacup in hand. “How do you take your tea?”

 “Oh no, I was just looking.” The stranger looked up, meeting Harry’s gaze. “Two sugars and no milk please.”

 “Got it!” He exclaimed, making quick work of preparing the drink.

 The boy continued to stand by the glass case. Harry could feel his eyes glued on the back of his head. “Did you make any of these?” He asked. “All the frosting on the cookies and the cupcake decorations look incredible.”

 Harry could feel all the blood in his body rushing to his face. The heater probably kicked in, it certainly wasn’t because of the customer standing a few feet away. “I did actually.” He brought the teal colored cup to the front counter, placing it carefully on the smooth surface.

The boy’s eyes lit up at the sight of the teacup. “You’re very talented.” He remarked before taking a sip. “Thanks again, it’s freezing out there.”

“That’s New York for you.” Harry sighed, rolling his eyes. “What brings you to the city? I noticed an English accent.”

 “I guess I could ask you the same thing.” He smiled. “Just in town for the holidays. Meeting up with some family that I haven’t seen in ages. I’m actually from Doncaster, but I’m living in London at the moment.”

 “London, very posh.” Harry laughed. “I’m from Holmes Chapel. I should be back there right now actually, but they cancelled all the flights out of New York. I’m going to uni here and I’m suddenly wishing that I picked a warmer location.”

 “I’m sorry to hear that.” The boy said and he genuinely looked concerned, the corners of his lips dragging down slightly. “The rest of my sisters are back at home with our mum. Missing them loads already.”

 “I guess we can be lonely together then.” Harry didn’t know what came over him. He was usually so shy and awkward around strangers. He never quite knew what to say or how to act. You could consider him introverted; he kept to himself for the most part. He had a handful of close friends back in England and even fewer at uni. While most students were spending their Friday nights partying into the early hours of the morning, he was curled up in his apartment, watching Netflix and eating chocolate ice cream straight out of the container. Harry just didn’t like having too much attention on him. It made his insides churn and turned his face into a tomato. He couldn’t do too much about his awkward nature, but he felt comfortable around the stranger. Maybe it was his kind eyes or his warm smile. Maybe it was the slightest sense of familiarity embedded in his voice. Or maybe it was the fact that it had been weeks since Harry had a decent night’s sleep.

 “Maybe we can.” It sounded more like a promise than anything else, but Harry didn’t want to get his hopes up. “So what’s your name? Unless you want me to start calling you Curly.”

The nickname made his heart flutter and he had to bite back a smile. “It’s Harry.”

“Harry.” He spoke softly, trying out the sound of his name. “It suits you.” The boy commented tilting his head to the side, as if it would give him a better point of vision.

 “And your name?” Harry prompted, firmly planting his hands on the edge of the counter. He leaned forward slowly, shortening the distance between the pair.

 The stranger took another long sip of tea, contemplating how he should answer. “Guess.”

 Harry took another look at the older boy, eyes raking over his body. He still couldn’t believe that this man who looked like he was chiseled out of marble was standing right in front him. “How about Alex?” Harry suggested, but as soon as the name rolled of his tongue, he knew that wasn’t right. “Jason? Henry? Peter?”

 The boy made a distasteful look at each suggestion, scrunching up his nose and pouting his lips. “You’re just rambling off random shit now.”

 Harry couldn’t help but smile even wider. “Ooh! How about Michael? Or Nicholas? Perhaps Daniel or Cameron?”

 "No, definitely no, and maybe on the last two.” He replied smugly, sending Harry into a fit of laugher. It wasn’t even that funny, but the giddy feeling in his stomach told him otherwise.

 “Well, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” Harry leaned even further across the counter, resting his chin atop the palm of his hand. He definitely wasn’t flirting; he was just being friendly. The stranger was a customer after all; he had to keep things professional.

 The boy’s entire face lit up at the sound of that. “Bringing out the Shakespeare now, are we? Didn’t take you to be a theater geek. Or maybe you’re just one of those annoyingly sappy romantics whose waiting for their fairytale ending.”

 “Guilty as charged!” He smiled brightly, mindlessly going back to pick up a few stray plates that were left on the back counter. They clinged and clattered as they collided.

 “It’s Louis. My name is Louis.” The boy said softly, barely audible over the noise.

  _Louis._

 It suited the boy perfectly, not too harsh, not too gentle. Not one of those extravagant names that could be spelled a million different ways, but definitely not ordinary.

 It was the perfect name for a perfect rose.

 “Well then,” Harry extended his arm toward the boy, “it’s nice to meet you Louis.”

 “That’s a bit formal don’t you think?” Louis commented, inching back ever so slightly.

 “Oh, I uh,” Harry stumbled on his words, trying not to let his face fall. Maybe he misread things. Louis might not even like boys or maybe Harry was coming off too strong—

 And then Louis hand was in his suddenly, delicate fingers engulfed by his own. Their fingers were jumbled into themselves and they weren’t even holding hands really, but the contact left Harry with chills. He always thought it was completely unrealistic in books when people described something as simple as human contact as this heart stopping sensation, but they weren’t exaggerating. Not one bit.

 Their hands slotted together, like they were meant to be holding each other. Louis’ skin was smooth against his calloused fingers. He felt like ice against the burning heat of Harry’s hand. They seemed like polar opposites, but it couldn’t be more perfect.

 Harry didn’t believe in love at first sight or even soul mates. The concept of it seemed impossible, but he was willing to make an exception for the blue-eyed boy standing on the other side of the counter.

 

 

❄    ❄    ❄

 

 

“Harry!” Lux squealed as the boy tugged on one of her ponytails.  He had tried to give her two pigtails, but it ended up looking like a lopsided mess of hair. Pieces of her blond bangs were sticking out and he missed a few strands in the back. Other than that, Harry thought it was a success. He used little red bows with green polka dots as hair ties, trying to keep up with the festive theme.

 He was babysitting his neighbor’s daughter, Lux, for the night and wanted to take her ice skating for the first time. The two of them watched an ice skating program on TV the other night, and since then, Lux hadn’t stopped talking about it. She kept going on an on about all the pretty costumes and how all the girls looked like ice princesses. She spent the rest of the night singing “Let It Go” and Harry may or may not have joined in.

 So here they were, standing in line to for skate rentals, Lux standing excitedly by his side. She dragged him forward by his coat sleeve. “Harry! Look!” She jumped at the sight of the rink. It was an outdoor, full sized skating rink adorned with lights lining the rim and one of the biggest trees that Harry had ever seen standing in the back. It was full of people, couples skating hand in hand, little children clinging to the sides for balance, and a handful of experienced skaters who actually looked like they new what they were doing. Christmas music pumped loudly through the staticy stereo system, adding to the cheerful atmosphere.

 Harry smiled, holding Lux’s hand tightly as she rambled on about the decorations. “The tree! Harry look!” The little girl giggled as she pointed at the tree. “It’s even taller than you! Think of how many presents you could put under there!” She was absolutely glowing, taking in the beauty of it all.

 “Two skates please.” Harry told the man at the counter, laying down a few dollars. “Size 11 in men’s and an 10 in children’s for her.”

 “Someone looks excited to go skating!” The worker smiled at Lux, bringing over two pairs of skates. His brown hair was trimmed down into a buzz cut and he had a bit of scruff framing his face. His eyes were a warm chocolate color that went perfectly with his inviting smile. Harry took a look at his nametag, the name Liam sketched across it.

 “I’ve never gone before!” Lux exclaimed, showing off a toothy grin. Her nose was starting to turn pink from the cold. Harry wondered if he should have grabbed her earmuffs, but there was no turning back now.

 “You two have a great time! And Happy Holidays!” Liam handed Lux a striped candy cane, making her eyes go wide.

 “Thank you!” Both Harry and Lux said at the same time. He took his little companion to a nearby bench, lacing up her skates one notch at a time. By the time they made it on the ice, Lux could barely contain herself. She took a leap onto the slippery surface, barely giving Harry a chance to follow.

 “Harry! Look, I’m skating!” She glided forward a few feet before loosing her balance and falling down head first. Harry rushed to her side, catching the girl just before she collided with the ice.

 “Woah there,” he smiled, taking hold of her little hand. He crouched down to her eye level and bopped her nose. “How about you hold onto my hand for a while, that way I can catch you if you feel like you’re going to fall. Then once you get used to it, you can try going on your own, okay?”

 “That’s probably a better idea.” She began to brush off some of the ice that was dusted across her sweater.

 It turned out that Harry wasn’t any better than Lux when it came to skating. It looked so easy on TV, like you could just glide across the frozen surface without any complications. His legs seemed too long and gangly for it; he was constantly tripping over his own feet and bumping into annoyed strangers. Lux’s enthusiasm didn’t help either. She would simply giggle at Harry’s clumsiness and continue to skate circles around him. The whole night was turning into a disaster, with Harry falling over more than he was standing upright and a little girl who wasn’t even in school yet outskating him.

 “Harry! They’re playing ‘Let It Go’!” She said excitedly, pointing at the speakers. Lux started singing along and took a few strides forward. She started to stumble, arms outstretched in the air. “Harry!” She screeched, catching the attention of a few nearby skaters.

 “Lux, hold on.” Harry tried his best to get to her in time, but she was already plummeting toward the ice.

 Then, in the blink of an eye, there was another man standing beside her, catching her little body just before she hit the ground. He scooped her up in his arm and Harry felt his heart plummet into his stomach.

 It was Louis. _The Louis_. After he left the coffee shop several nights before, Harry thought he’d never have the privilege of seeing him again. But here he was in all his glory, dressed in a tan trench coat and comforting a nervous looking Lux.

 “Hey, love, you’re okay now.” His voice had gone soft, a bright smile on his face. “Where are your parents?”

Harry had to remind himself that he was responsible for Lux instead of just gaping at the sight of Louis. He quickly regrouped himself, straightening out the wrinkles that formed in his coat. He tried his best to skate over to the pair in one piece, but ended up stumbling once or twice.

 “I’m right here Lux!” He called to the girl, the apprehension in her face dissolving instantly. “Thank you so much Louis.”

 "Hey you!” His face lit up in recognition. Even his teeth were perfect. Harry was screwed. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” His feathery hair was styled into a loose quiff, the ends curling in slightly. Harry didn’t think that he could get any more attractive, but Louis continued to surprise him.

 “Neither did I.” He replied honestly, Lux skating into his arms. “You doing okay sweetie?”

 Lux stared back up at Harry, a grin painted on her face as if she never fell. “Louis saved my life!” She cried out before leaning closer to Harry. “He’s very pretty. Is he your boyfriend?” She wasn’t very subtle about it, shouting the question, despite their close proximity.

 Harry looked back at the boy, gauging his reaction. His cheeks had turned a little pink, but Harry wasn’t sure if he was blushing or just cold. But he was smiling fondly once again, eyes crinkling up in delight. “He is isn’t he?” He smiled back down at the girl. “But no, love, he’s not my boyfriend.”

 “Why not?” She questioned, being very persistent about the state of their relationship.

 Harry laughed awkwardly, taking another look at Louis. “I’m sorry.”

 “Don’t be.” He said instantly and he meant it. The two of them gingerly stared back at each other for a few seconds. Harry could feel the butterflies fluttering in his stomach once again.

 Lux tugged at his sleeve, bringing the boy back to reality. “Haz, I’m getting cold. Can we head back home?” She pouted, shivering for dramatic effect.

 Louis sighed quietly, already taking a step back.

 Before Harry could process what he was saying, he was already inviting Louis over. “You could join us if you like. I have some hot chocolate back at my flat.” He barely knew anything about the guy, but he didn’t want to leave him just yet. There was just something inviting about the blue-eyed boy. He was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, but he wouldn’t want it any other way.

 “No, there’s no need to go through all that trouble—” Louis started, clasping his two hands together.

“I’m already making two cups. A third isn’t any extra trouble.” Harry interrupted. “That is if you want to.”

 “Yeah, I’d love to.”

 

❄    ❄    ❄

 

An hour later, the three of them were settled in Harry’s little kitchen, sipping away at their drinks. Harry had made his specialty, peppermint hot chocolate, topped off with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Lux had a little whipped cream mustache lining her upper lip, making her look absolutely ridiculous.

 Louis laughed loudly before wiping off her face with a napkin. “Isn’t she the cutest?”

 “I am!” Lux smiled at the compliment. She took another sip from her mug, replacing the mustache that Louis just wiped off.

“She sure is.” Harry commented, staring straight at the boy. It didn’t take long for Harry to find out that Louis was great with kids. He was so sweet with Lux and she absolutely adored him. He had told Harry that he was in school to become a teacher. Whenever he talked about it, his whole demeanor changed. Louis even was running a football camp back in London for disabled children. You could tell that he was very passionate about what he did and Harry felt like his heart was going to burst.

 After Lux finished up her hot coco, she started yawning. She was practically falling asleep on the counter.

 “Looks like someone is getting sleepy after all that ice skating.” Louis commented, nudging her arm.

 “Mhm.” Lux grunted with her eyes fluttering shut.

 Harry walked over to her side, picking the girl up and resting her on his hip. “I think it’s past someone’s bed time.” She squirmed slightly in his arms before settling down. “I’m gonna go tuck her in. I’ll be back in a few.”

 Louis just nodded, bringing the mug back up to his lips.

 By the time Harry brought Lux into Niall’s room, she was already fast asleep. He took off her little shoes and tucked her in his roommate’s bed. He made sure to bring the covers up to her neck and even placed her favorite teddy bear by her side.

 Harry returned to an empty kitchen and frowned deeply. Where could Louis have gone? His shared apartment wasn’t very big, unless he made a quick exit while he was with Lux.

“Louis?” He called out softly, not wanting to wake Lux.

 “I’m out on the balcony.” He responded quickly, putting Harry’s nerves at ease. He grabbed his hot chocolate and followed the boy’s voice outside.

 Louis was leaning against the metal frame, staring into the outside world. They didn’t have much of a view, just more and more apartment complexes, but some of the windowsills were decorated in lights. One of them even had a lit up Santa Claus resting on their balcony. 

 “There you are.” Harry said, joining Louis. He set down his mug and crossed his arms over the railing.

 “Just wanted to get some fresh air.”

 The two of them stayed quiet for a while, taking in the night sky and the brisk air. It had gotten much colder as the night went on. Harry even had a few goosebumps rising up on his arms. 

 “Would you look at that?” Louis said, staring up into the sky.

“Look at what?” Harry asked, but he was answered by a single snowflake tickling his nose. Before he knew it, the whole sky was littered with little white specks, enveloping the two boys in a cold little bubble. The icy sensation was foreign to Harry. It never got cold enough to snow in Holmes Chapel and it was his first winter in New York, so he had never been in the snow before.

 Louis looked godly standing there, the blue in his eyes shining even brighter. There were snowflakes sticking in his hair, creating some sort of wintry crown. He looked completely in his element.

 “It’s snowing.” Harry gasped in awe, placing a hand on Louis’s arm. He melted into the touch with a warm smile on his face.

 He let out a little laugh. “Yeah, it is Harry.”

 “I-I can’t believe it.” He mumbled, just gaping at the sight.

 “And look,” Louis point upward, looking smug. “Mistletoe.”

 Harry tilted his head up, and sure enough, there was a sprig of mistletoe, wrapped in a big red bow hanging down above them. “Aren’t you just full of surprises.”

 “I suppose I am.” Harry’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. The thought of kissing Louis had consumed his mind ever since the night at the bakery, but he never thought that it would ever happen.

Louis pivoted his body to face his and stepped forward, taking Harry’s hands in his own. He stayed frozen for a moment, eyes locked on Louis’. They were beautiful from a distant, but up close, they were absolutely jaw dropping. They looked too pretty to even be real, different hues of blue swirling together.

 Harry could barely feel his hands anymore and his legs felt like they were about to collapse. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this nervous. Louis made the first move, leaning in slowly and bringing his hand up to graze Harry’s cheek. His bare skin felt like ice. With a trembling hand, Harry wrapped his hands around the boy’s waist and brought him closer.

 Before he could blink, their lips were crashing together. Harry tightened his grip on his hips and Louis brought him in closer by the neck. He carded his fingers through his curls, tugging slightly. Their lips brushed against each other, leaving their breaths heavy and hearts pounding. Harry quickly decided that kissing Louis was the best thing in the world and he never wanted to stop. Despite his initial hesitations, he was quick to deepen the kiss, licking into his mouth with ease. Louis responded instantly, his mouth mirroring the taller boy’s.

 Their bodies fit perfectly together, like two halves of a whole. Louis bit down on Harry’s bottom lip, bringing a gasp out of the younger boy. He trailed his hands down Louis’ back, settling them just above his bum.

 It was like a scene out of a movie, mistletoe hanging above their heads and a blanket of snow surrounding them. The intensity of their kiss died down over time, turning into innocent pecks, much to Harry’s dismay. Even as Louis pulled away, he kept the smaller boy in his arms and their foreheads pressed together. A small laugh made its way into the air as their noses bumped into each other.

 “Merry Christmas Harry.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> [My tumblr ♡](http://lousgotnocontrol.tumblr.com/)


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